1. Field
The disclosed method and system relates to a network facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a network facsimile apparatus which is capable of performing an information providing operation with information security measures.
2. Description of the Related Arts
There has been developed a so-called network facsimile machine that is capable of exchanging E-mail (electronic mail) with other data terminals via a local area network and the Internet, as well as exchanging facsimile data with other facsimile machines via a public switched telephone network (PSTN). Such a network facsimile machine is capable of transmitting image information to both users of data terminals such as PCs (personal computers) on the local area network and to facsimile machines connected to the public switched telephone network. Also, the network facsimile machine may transmit image information to data terminals connected to other local area networks when the local area network of the network facsimile machine is connected to other local area networks through the Internet.
Moreover, users can transmit image information from a facsimile machine to data terminals on a local area network via the network facsimile machine. The network facsimile machine can also relay information to other network facsimile machines across local area networks. Accordingly, users can benefit from such convenient connections between networks of the facsimile machines and the data terminals.
However, the above-described network facsimile apparatus raises a problem of confidentiality. That is, the above-described network facsimile apparatus is configured to maintain various kinds of communication history information of each workstation connected to the local area network that can be communicated with, for the purpose of conveniently providing such information to the users. Such communication history information typically includes a sender""s name, transmission date and time, a destination of the transmission, the image information transmitted to the destination, and so forth. Under such a circumstance, users can easily read any piece of communication history information, even a piece of information belonging to another user, stored in the network facsimile apparatus on the workstations connected to the local area network. Thereby, the communication history information can be leaked through the network facsimile apparatus and the security of information in the local area network can be broken easily.
The present application provides a data terminal that can be coupled to a local area network and a public switched telephone network. In one embodiment, the data terminal includes a first communications device, a second communications device, a memory, a data entry mechanism, and a controller. The first communications device transmits and receives electronic mail through the local area network. The second communications device transmits and receives facsimile image information through the public switched telephone network. The data entry mechanism allows alphanumeric data entry. The controller performs a first operation each time when receiving an instruction for transmitting facsimile image information to a facsimile terminal connected to the public switched telephone network through the second communications device. The controller further performs a second operation each time when receiving through the first communication device from a different data terminal connected to the local area network a request with a specific password for browsing information stored in the memory. During the first operation, the controller requests a user entry of a password through the data entry mechanism, links the password to the facsimile image information upon receiving the user entry of a password. Further, the controller generates a communication history file including information associated with a transmission of the facsimile image information and the password linked to the facsimile image information, and stores the communication history file into the memory. During the second operation, the controller searches the specific communication history file by verifying a password included in each of the plurality of communication history files stored in the memory against the specific password. Further, the controller sends a specific communication history file from the memory to the different data terminal through the first communication device upon finding in the memory the specific communication history file which includes a password identical to the specific password sent from the different data terminal with the request.
The password may represent an identification of a user who sends the request from the different data terminal to the data terminal.
The password may represent an identification of a facsimile terminal connected to the public switched telephone network and to which the facsimile image information is sent.
The information included in the communication history file may include transmission date and time, a transmission mode, a destination terminal number, a transmission result, and an image information file number.
During the first operation, the controller may request a user entry of a password through the data entry mechanism, and link the password to the facsimile image information upon receiving the user entry of a password. Further, the controller may generate an image profile file including information associated with the facsimile image information and the password linked to the facsimile image information, and store the image profile file and the facsimile image information into the memory. During the second operation, the controller may search the specific facsimile image information by verifying a password included in each of a plurality of image profile files stored in the memory against the specific password, and read a specific facsimile image information from the memory through the link between an image profile file and the specific facsimile image information upon finding in the memory the image profile file which includes a password identical to the specific password sent from the different data terminal with the request. Further, the controller may send the specific facsimile image information from the memory to the different data terminal through the first communication device.
The information included in the image profile file may include an image information file number, an image mode, and an image mapping information.
The second communication device may perform a facsimile transmission according to a Group 3 facsimile communications procedure.
The controller may exchange data with the different data terminal during the second operation in accordance with a point-to-point communications method.
The present application also provides an information providing method for a data terminal that can be coupled to a local area network and a public telephone network. In one embodiment, an information providing method includes the steps of receiving, requesting, linking, generating, storing, receiving, researching, and sending. The receiving step receives an instruction for transmitting facsimile image information to a facsimile terminal connected to the public switched telephone network. The requesting step requests a user entry of a password. The linking step links the password to the facsimile image information upon receiving the user entry of a password. The generating step generates a communication history file including information associated with a transmission of the facsimile image information and the password linked to the facsimile image information. The storing step stores the communication history file into a memory. The receiving step receives from a different data terminal connected to the local area network a request with a specific password for browsing information stored in the memory. The researching step researches the specific communication history file by verifying a password included in each of the plurality of communication history files stored in the memory against the specific password. The sending step sends a specific communication history file from the memory to the different data terminal upon finding in the memory the specific communication history file which includes a password identical to the specific password sent from the different data terminal with the request.